The health targets results for the first quarter of 2013/14 have been released by the Ministry of Health.

The Taranaki health sector continues to work towards the targets, which are indicative of a wider range of services and efforts in priority areas.

The 2013/14 year sees three changes to the health targets, including the introduction of agreed level 2 hospital data in the shorter stays in emergency departments (ED) target, and an increase to 90 percent in the national goals for the increased immunisation and more heart and diabetes checks targets.

Planning and Funding, and Population Health General Manager Sandra Boardman said a focus on the six key areas is important to continue to improve health, reduce inequalities and improve the quality of health services for Taranaki people. “The targets provide a useful indication of how we are doing”.

The health target results for Taranaki DHB are:

1) Shorter Stays in ED. Target 95%, Achieved 94%
We are disappointed to have dropped below the target with 94percent of patients seen in ED admitted or transferred from the ED within six hours. The number of patients presenting to ED over this period has increased markedly which has impacted on the workload. The team will continue to focus on improving the flow of patients both through our acute pathway work and in partnership with the primary sector.

2) Improved Access to Elective Surgery: Target 100%, Achieved 112%
The national improved access to elective surgery target has been achieved, with 40,593 elective surgical discharges provided, against a target of 38,629 discharges. This is 1964 (5 percent) more than planned. Fifteen DHBs achieved the quarter one target.

4) Increased Immunisation: Target 90%, Achieved 90%
Increasing immunisation rates are a priority in order to reduce the incidence of preventable disease in our community. We are working closely with primary care organisations, hospital services, outreach immunisation services, National Immunisation Register and Well Child Providers on strategies to improve immunisation uptake including early enrolment of newborns with a general practice.
During quarter one, 13 DHBs have achieved the target with at least 90 percent of eight-month-olds fully immunised.

5) Better Help for Smokers to Quit (Hospital Target): Target 95%, Achieved 96%
We are working hard to ensure patients and visitors to our hospitals are given advice about quitting and are pleased to have exceeded the target again this quarter. Across New Zealand 17 DHBs met the target.

Better Help for Smokers to Quit (Primary Care Target): Target 90%, Achieved 67%
During this quarter there has been continued good progress with a further 2 percent increasing the Primary Care target to 67 percent. Primary Care will continue to work to support the ongoing improvement to achieve the ‘Better help for smokers to quit’ target of 90 percent.

6) More Heart and Diabetes Checks: Target 90%, Achieved 76 %
Taranaki DHB continues to work with the Midlands Health Network to provide the best outcomes for people living with Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. The implementation of a multidisciplinary team to support the care provided by GP Practices, and Taranaki DHB funding MHN to enable access to ongoing education for GP’s and Practice nurses in the care and management of diabetic patients in the community, are just two examples. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease continue to be among the main causes of ill health in Taranaki. No DHB has achieved the target this quarter but there is an improvement nationally.